Intense Texas Blizzard Caught in Videos

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Driving snow and gusting winds reduce visibility to next to
nothing in two wild videos taken in Amarillo, Tex., during
today's historic blizzard.

The storm, which has dumped at least 17 inches (43 centimeters)
of snow on Amarillo so far today (Feb. 25), has closed most roads
in the Texas panhandle, including the major thoroughfares of
Interstates 40 and 27. Around 11 a.m. CST, the Amarillo
International Airport recorded a
hurricane-force 75-mph gust of wind.

"This is easily in the top three
historic snows we've ever had," said Krissy Scotten, the
warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather
Service office in Amarillo. "And we've had records since 1892."

Whiteout conditions

Two videos, taken by Scotten and posted on the NWS Amarillo
Facebook page, hint at the fury of the blizzard. Blowing snow
obscures the parking lot outside the NWS Amarillo office, where
drifts of 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) were forming, Scotten
said. Visibility in the early afternoon remained at a
quarter-mile (0.4 km) or less. [ See
video of the blizzard ]

"Travel is pretty much nonexistent in the Texas panhandle right
now," Scotten said.

The wind was so strong as Scotten took the videos that the
blowing snow stung her face, she said. As of about 1:30 p.m. CST
the snow was tapering off, but the winds were still gusting near
50 mph (80 kmh).

"Light to moderate snow will continue for the next several hours,
probably three to four hours," Scotten said. "Amarillo could pick
up another 2 to 3 inches [5 to 7.6 cm]."

The city averages less than 19 inches (48 cm) of snow a year,
making the 17 inches that have already fallen nearly equivalent
to an entire year's supply.

Major storm

The
blizzard now slamming Amarillo and the Texas panhandle dumped
9 inches (23 cm) of snow in Denver on Sunday (Feb. 24), according
to the National Weather Service. The Denver International Airport
canceled some 200 flights and delayed hundreds more in response
to the snow.

The storm is now expanding toward Kansas and will reach
northwestern Missouri by nightfall, according to AccuWeather.com.
Oklahoma will also see blizzard conditions.

This is the second blizzard in mere days for the Great Plains. On
Feb. 22, a storm dropped snow over the region, crippling travel
in Kansas. Russell, Kan., a small town in the central part of the
state, saw 22 inches (56 cm) of snow from that snow storm, and
the latest blizzard will add to the snow already on the ground.